thanksgiving

Your family probably already has a few traditions of your own for Thanksgiving. Maybe you have a special routine for saying what you’re thankful for, or maybe everyone looks forward to grandma’s signature pie all year long. Thanksgiving is also a great time to start some new traditions, particularly if you’re looking for fun activities that kids will love to take part in.

1. Succulent Place Cards
This is such a fun and easy activity for kiddos during the holidays! While the house is a big hub of craziness and activity, you can send the kids outside for this quick and easy Thanksgiving or Christmas craft. Littles and bigs will love making place cards for everyone around the holiday table. Then all of the guests can have a sweet little succulent planter to take home after the delicious dinner. Head HEREfor full step-by-step photo instructions to show you how to make them.

2. Get the Kids Involved with Foraged Bouquets for the Table
The hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving can get overwhelming for kids. Everyone is excited, the house smells amazing, family and friends are ringing the bell…chaos is sure to follow. One thing our boys love to do is head outside in the fresh air to get some energy out. Send an older kid or an adult with the kids to pick a bouquet of “foraged” leaves, flowers and sticks (or several small bouquets). Then they can put them in mason jars or vases on the Thanksgiving table. Fun, festive & it gets the wiggles out!

3. A Thankful Book
Instead of simply saying what you’re thankful for around the dinner table, how about having each person write it down? Then save the notes in a scrapbook or binder. It’s fun to set out a blank book or paper with pencils, crayons, stickers and markers for everyone to write down their thankful list while dinner is cooking. It keeps the kids busy, and you can look back on it together every Thanksgiving. Erin over at Home Literacy Blueprint made the cutest thankful books with her kiddos!

4. Pin the Feather on the Turkey
If you have a lot of young kids in your family (or teenagers who like to be goofy like mine), pin the feather on the turkey is a great game to keep them entertained and get them in the Thanksgiving spirit. This is just like pin the tail on the donkey, except you’re using a paper turkey and feathers of different colors. For added fun, have each kid create and decorate their own feather out of card stock, stickers, pens, pencils…whatever you have lying around. They can write what they are thankful for & it makes the turkey so adorable when they’re finished! Make sure you take a picture as a memento!

precious graphic from Living Well Mom – head on over there for instructions

What fun family traditions or kid activities does your family do for the holidays? I’d love to learn some new ideas! ♥

I’m always looking for fun things to do with my boys that gets them involved in the holidays. These sweet little succulent place cards are perfect for kids (and adults) and will brighten up your holiday table! These would even be adorable for a rustic outdoor wedding.

With just a few “ingredients” – most of which can be found in your back yard, you can make sweet little name cards for your holiday or wedding table.

small votive holder (or other small container – a tiny mason jar would work well, too)

sphagnum moss (I found a bag of it at Home Depot)

twigs of greenery from the garden

a stick

a tiny clothes pin or clip

a succulent rosette – or really any succulent sprig will do

a small name tag – or slip of paper

Wet your sphagnum moss & pack it relatively tightly into the holder.

Using your finger (or a pencil), make a hole down the center of your moss for the stem of your succulent.

Carefully place your succulent stem into the hole. Add a bit of extra moss around it to secure it into the little container.

Add your stick. If you don’t have a stick from a tree or bush, you can use a popsicle stick or even a skewer. Make sure the stick is high enough to allow the name tag to show above the succulent.

Use your tiny clothes pin (I gilded mine with a gold-leafing pen just for fun) to clip the name tag and the greenery to your stick. Set them on the table as place cards & you’ll have a beautiful holiday or wedding tablescape! The best part is that your guests will have a great little gift to take home with them. {so much fun}

What will you use it for? I would love to see your version! Be sure to use #littlegirlspearls, so I can find it!! Have fun. ♥

I am thankful for you. Each and every day for the last 16+ years, I’ve gotten to make pretty things. I get to do what I love, and help families with their lovely celebrations. I have the very best job in the whole world because of YOU. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to create sparkly things for your special events. I can never truly put into words how very grateful I am for you.

I wanted to make you something sweet and fun and lovely. Here is a little thankful free printable for you on this beautiful Thanksgiving week. You can print it on a regular 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper or photo paper. It prints out to fit in an 8×10 frame.

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Hello, I'm Julie, a wife, mother, and owner of Little Girl's Pearls. This is a place for all things sparkly, frilly, soft, fluffy, and adorable, and I hope you enjoy it. Take a look around - I'm so happy you're here.You can learn a bit more about me here.